The New York Jets announced a contract extension for head coach Rex Ryan last month, just a couple weeks after owner Woody Johnson and general manager John Idzik assured the team Ryan would be around through next year.
As far as Hall of Fame quarterback and Jets legend Joe Namath is concerned, the decision was good for Idzik's health.
Namath said last weekend that Idzik "would probably have been mobbed by the team, beaten up or something, if they let Rex go," according to the NY Daily News.
Ryan led the Jets to an 8-8 record, including back-to-back wins to close
out 2013, despite the team being considered heavy favorites to finish
the year last in the NFL, or close to it, prior to the season. "This year, with what material they had, they almost overachieved even though they could have won a couple other games," Namath said.
Ryan's bond with his players is well-documented, and Ryan and Idzik were naturally fast allies, even with Ryan thrust upon Idzik when Idzik signed with the organization last year.
"We’re joined at the hip," Idzik said at the end of the season. "We have been since I arrived."
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